Gypsum Dust Research Articles

Hsa_circ_0008500 regulates Benzo(a)pyrene-loaded gypsum-induced inflammation and apoptosis in human bronchial epithelial cells via activation of Ahr/C-myc pathways

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are major organic pollutants attached to fine particulate matter in the atmosphere. They induce lung inflammation, asthma, and other lung diseases. Exploring the toxic mechanism of PAHs on lung epithelial cells may provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases induced by PAHs. In our study, 16 human bronchial epithelial (16HBE) cells were exposed to different concentrations of gypsum dust, Benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), and BaP-loaded gypsum dust for 24 hours. Gypsum dust loaded with BaP significantly increased the cytotoxicity of 16HBE cells, enhanced the production of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), induced cell apoptosis, and upregulate the expression of hsa_circ_0008500 (circ_0008500). The mechanism was studied with a BaP-loaded gypsum dust concentration of 1.25 mg/mL. StemRegenin 1 (SR1) pretreat significantly reduced the release of LDH, IL-6, and IL-8 and decreased the protein levels of Ahr、XAP2, C-myc, and p53. Second-generation sequencing indicated that circ_0008500 was highly expressed after 16HBE induced by BaP-loaded gypsum dust. Functional experiments confirmed that circ_0008500 promoted the inflammation and apoptosis of 16HBE cells induced by BaP-loaded gypsum dust by regulating the Ahr signaling pathway. Our study showed that fine particulate matter adsorption of BaP significantly increased the toxic effect of BaP on cells. By activating the Ahr/C-myc pathway, circ_0008500 promoted inflammation and apoptosis of 16HBE cells induced by BaP-loaded gypsum dust.

Fugitive gypsum dust deposition on a neighboring wildlife refuge, Antioch Dunes, California, USA

ABSTRACT Fugitive dust emissions play an important role in urban air quality. Much research on fugitive dust’s effects has focused on human health and societal impacts, with limited work investigating effects on other species. The endangered Apodemia mormo langei butterfly is endemic to the Antioch Dunes, a small area on the south bank of the San Joaquin River in northern California, largely protected as a National Wildlife Refuge. Between the two protected portions of the dunes is a gypsum processing facility. Deposition of gypsum dust may adversely affect endangered insects, especially in their vulnerable larval life stage. Persistent westerly winds blow from the western section of the refuge, across the industrial facility, to the eastern protected dune area. Ambient particulate matter (PM) was collected at 30 sites in both sections of the refuge using passive samplers deployed at times matching the butterfly life cycle. The prevailing wind maintained upwind-downwind sampling orientation throughout the study. PM samples were analyzed for total mass, and elemental composition via X-ray fluorescence. Downwind concentrations of gypsum-related elements were between 4 (strontium) and 12 (sulfur) times higher than upwind loadings, suggesting deposition of PM from the gypsum facility. The effect of fugitive emissions was strongest at the industrial facility’s fenceline, closest to a conveyor belt that loads gypsum. Combined with documented reductions in insect larval longevity when exposed to gypsum dust, the results suggest that gypsum deposition may be affecting the ecosystem and endangered species in the downwind unit of the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. Implications: Fugitive dust has impacts not only on humans, but on other organisms. The Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge (ADNWR) in California, set aside to protect the endangered Apodemia mormo langei butterfly, consists of two land units separated by a gypsum processing facility in between them. In this study, we demonstrate fugitive gypsum dust deposition on the downwind unit of the ADNWR, which may impact the endangered butterfly and its ecosystem.

Chemical composition of monsoon bulk precipitation in the Salalah area, Oman

Precipitation chemistry data provide important information for environmental studies on large-scale element cycling and anthropogenic impacts on our atmosphere, but also for hydrochemical models and groundwater recharge estimations via the Chloride Mass Balance method. Such recharge data play a crucial role in groundwater management, particularly in (semi-)arid areas. Unfortunately, precipitation analyses are often scarce in such regions. This also applies to the Arabian Peninsula, including southern Oman. To overcome this lack of rain chemistry data, we developed a strategy for automatic weekly bulk precipitation sampling, using recently designed automatic rainwater samplers. The integral samples were gathered along an elevation gradient from the Salalah coast to the Dhofar mountains during the Indian Ocean Monsoon seasons 2017 and 2018.Our major ion analyses of the rainwater samples revealed considerable temporal and spatial heterogeneity, in terms of ion proportions and absolute concentrations. Samples from the coast were relatively salty (EC mostly >3000 μS cm−1) and rich in Na+ and Cl−, reflecting small rain amounts and a sea spray effect. Further inland, solute concentrations were lower, partly due to more precipitation, and ions such as Ca2+ and SO42− gained importance, probably due to calcite and gypsum dust. This pattern reflects the interplay between solute availability (influenced by regional geology, wind direction at different altitudes, and wind speed) and precipitation amounts. Cl−/Br− ratios were fairly uniform and scattered around the seawater value. Combining ion concentrations and rain amounts yielded bulk depositions that showed an erratic pattern along the elevation gradient, i.e., depositions did not decrease steadily in inland direction, as one may assume. This suggests that the occasionally reported approach of collecting a few opportunistic grab samples at a single site is unlikely to yield data that are representative for a larger coastal study area.

Early death from COPD related to occupational exposure to gypsum dust:a case report

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is considered as a fatal but a preventable disease. It occurs rather in the elderly and often after smoking intoxication over many years. However, it may strike younger people particularly, due to a complex interaction between genes and the environment. We report a case of a 34-year-old man, a former smoker with a history of occupational exposure to gypsum dust, who has been diagnosed with end-stage COPD. Tobacco smoke and occupational exposure to gypsum dust were thought to interact in the development and the progression of this early COPD. Thus, physicians must be aware of the potential occupational aetiologies for COPD and should consider them in patients particularly when it occurs at an early age.

Effect of gypsum dust on lepidopterous larvae

Airborne particulate matter is a significant concern to human health, but the effects of the deposition of dust on other species in the wild has not been well investigated. The vulnerability of insects to mineral dusts has been well known from agricultural management and the current co-occurrence of endangered species with dust-producing industry makes this knowledge more relevant and in need of expansion. To investigate the effects of fugitive gypsum dust on an endangered butterfly species, we exposed a surrogate lepidopterous species (Gloveria medusa; Lasiocampidae) to realistic quantities of gypsum dust either on its hostplant or externally applied to larvae. We then used surviving larvae in a choice experiment to ascertain if previous exposure to gypsum contaminated hostplant affected larval preferences. Consumption of gypsum-dusted foodplant increased risk of death for larvae significantly compared with both controls (hazard ratio = 4.80; 95% CI = 2.08–11.03; p = 0.0002) and the external treatment (HR = 2.85; 95% CI 1.41–5.76; p = 0.003). External treatment elevated death rate, but not significantly (HR = 1.68; 95% CI =0.65–4.33; p = 0.28). Elevated risk of death was greater for smaller larvae. Hostplant choice after previous exposure was not significant, but suggestive that larvae consume more of the hostplant in the condition that they previously experienced (either with or without gypsum). Based on these results and previous studies, we conclude that fugitive gypsum dust may affect populations through direct mortality, reduced developmental rates, lower weights, and extended development periods that disrupt natural phenology. Use of dust to reduce insect infestations is an ancient practice, and knowledge of these effects should be revived to address chronic harms of fugitive dust on insects as they face worldwide declines.

Tracing gypsiferous White Sands aerosols in the shallow critical zone in the northern Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico using Sr/Ca and 87Sr/86Sr ratios

White Sands (New Mexico, USA) emits gypsum dust with a unique chemical and mineralogical signature, providing an opportunity to investigate its loading and regional movement. This study tracked White Sands dust input to montane soils downwind in the northern Sacramento Mountains, and provided better understanding of the effects of gypsum dust on sources of bioavailable plant nutrients in an active critical zone. Four soil profiles were collected over bedrocks of different weatherabilities, from the most reactive limestone, mixed limestone, diorite, to the least reactive sandstone, as well as different atmospheric end-members (rain, regional dust, and White Sands gypsum). Annual dry deposition rate observed at the Sacramento Mountains was approximately at 11 g m−2 yr−1, up to an order of magnitude lower than those at the Chihuahuan Desert basins upwind and closer to dust sources at lower elevations. Elemental chemistry, Ca/Sr and 87Sr/86Sr of bulk soils were mostly controlled by those of bedrocks and modified by chemical weathering over carbonate substrates, whereas the atmospheric input was only detectable in shallow soils over the least reactive sandstone through addition profiles of Ca, Sr and Na. Although only making up a small portion of a bulk soil in mass, White Sands dust, along with wet deposition, dominantly controlled the Ca/Sr and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of plants and the water leachable fraction of the soils. Particles from White Sands, predominantly gypsum, were very soluble, and dissolved quickly in soils of the Sacramento Mountains but re-precipitated at the impermeable bedrock-soil interface. Although absolute concentrations of Ca and Sr in plants differed widely among four sites and among different local plant types, Sr/Ca ratios were largely controlled by plant type, and thus the rooting depth. This study highlighted the importance of regional dust and rainfall in loading nutrients even in a semi-humid environment.

The analysis of health effects of exposure to occupational hazards on works in gypsum mining enterprise

Objective: To investigate the health of gypsum miners in Hubei province and analyze the health effects of occupational disease hazards exposure on gypsum miners. Methods: In April 2017, occupational disease hazard factors were tested on the site of a gypsum mine, and 500 workers were selected by random sampling to conduct questionnaires, relevant data such as occupational health examination was collected, and descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: The main occupational hazards of gypsum miners were gypsum dust and noise. The time-weighted average concentration of 8 h in the workplace was 4.32 to 9.34 mg/m(3), and the post pass rate was 69.2% (9/13) ; Respiratory dust 0.13-5.15 mg/m(3), post pass rate 75.0% (3/4). Gypsum miners had finger dysfunction and muscle numbness, joint pain (29.2%, 88/301) and chest pain and breathing difficulties (17.6%, 53/301). Followed by tinnitus, auricle pus, running water (4.7%, 14/301), abnormal muscle tension (2.7%, 8/301). The exposure of occupational disease hazards was associated with respiratory, auditory and neurological symptoms of gypsum miners. Conclusion: The long-term exposure of gypsum workers to gypsum dust, noise and other harmful factors may result in obvious symptoms of respiratory system and other health damage.

Medical staff's exposure to solid particles and health impact survey

Objective: To investigate the current situation of exposure of solid particles in medical staff and the occurrence of related diseases, and to understand the distribution characteristics of occupational exposure and the influencing factors. Methods: In August 2016, the stratified cluster sampling method was adopted to select three tertiary general hospitals with different regions, different administrative levels and departments in Shandong Province. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted on the basic situation of the staff of the hospital, the status of exposure to occupational hazards and the health effects. Two-class logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between medical staff's solid particle contact and occupational health effects. In August 2016, the stratified cluster sampling method was adopted to select three tertiary general hospitals with different regions, different administrative levels and departments in Shandong Province, which were in contact with the basic conditions and occupational hazards of the staff of the hospital. Current situation and health impacts were conducted face-to-face questionnaires. Two-class logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between medical staff's solid particle contact and occupational health effects. Results: The overall contact rate of solid particles of medical staff was 41.5% (1843/4 446) , and the solid particles with the highest contact rate were 28.2% (1254/4 446) of talc dust. There was a statistically significant difference in the contact rate of solid particles between medical staff of different occupations, current working age, education and hospital type (χ(2)=76.30, 41.26, 26.16, 188.97, P<0.05) . There were significant differences in the conditions and types of solid particles in different departments (χ(2)=740.23, P<0.05) . Compared with the control group, the incidence of allergic asthma, chronic tracheobronchitis and dermatitis was higher in the contact group medical staff (P<0.05) . Contact with zirconia dust, talc dust, cotton dust is a risk factor for dermatitis in medical staff (OR=2.09, 1.45, 1.34) ; exposure to zirconia dust and cotton dust is a risk factor for chronic tracheobronchitis in medical staff (OR=2.38, 1.66) ; exposure to zirconia dust, gypsum dust is a risk factor for allergic asthma in medical staff (OR=3.90, 1.52) . Conclusion: The contact rate of solid particles in medical staff is high, and there are many types of contact. Frequent contacted with solid particles is a dangerous cause of related diseases. The working environment of medical staff should be further monitored and be strengthen the targeted protective measures and regulatory systems for the exposure of medical personnel to solid particles.

Obtaining mathematical models for assessing efficiency of dust collectors using integrated system of analysis and data management STATISTICA Design of Experiments

The article considers obtaining mathematical models to assess the efficiency of the dust collectors using an integrated system of analysis and data management STATISTICA Design of Experiments. The procedure for obtaining mathematical models and data processing is considered by the example of laboratory studies on a mounted installation containing a dust collector in counter-swirling flows (CSF) using gypsum dust of various fractions. Planning of experimental studies has been carried out in order to reduce the number of experiments and reduce the cost of experimental research. A second-order non-position plan (Box-Bencken plan) was used, which reduced the number of trials from 81 to 27. The order of statistical data research of Box-Benken plan using standard tools of integrated system for analysis and data management STATISTICA Design of Experiments is considered. Results of statistical data processing with significance estimation of coefficients and adequacy of mathematical models are presented.

Environmental and Working Area Dust Emission from the Gypsum Warehouse

The work analyses the emissions analysis for gypsum binder production. The major air pollutant is the suspended solids composed of a mixture of particles in air, which can be either solid or liquid and be a complex mixture of organic and inorganic substances. Studies have shown that excessive concentrations of inorganic dust (gypsum dust) generated by the open gypsum warehouse storage and thus the contribution of emission sources into total concentration of inorganic dust (dust plaster) average vary from 66,28% to 87,67%. The highest excessive concentrations of inorganic dust are registered at the border of regulated areas: up to 20% SiO2 (plaster dust) (from 5,9 to 16,0 shares of maximum allowable concentration (MAC)).

Improving the Computational Model for Approximation of Particle Functions over Diameter of Dust in the Work Area and at the Border of the Sanitary Protection Zone

This paper describes the basic ways of solving the problem of experimental data approximation. Disperse composition of crushed gypsum dust was analyzed; the analysis results are presented herein. Approximating function of particulate dust composition function is a piecewise function, defined as a three-tier spline “direct-parabola-hyperbole.” The approximation aims at finding seven function factors and two nodal points. The least square method was used to estimate the unknown parameters of regression models for the sample data. To apply this method to experimental data, a program complex calculation models for the approximation of the integral representation of the mass distribution function of particles in the dust diameter in CAS Maple was presented. It defines a function that describes the distribution of the particulate composition of the dust released from the open warehouse storage of crushed gypsum rock with the smallest error.

Chemical Analysis of the Dust on a Historically Important Collection

The Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, houses an important historical collection: the W. B. Carpenter collection of Eozoon, which is of great significance in the history of science, specifically with regard to a nineteenth-century controversy about the presence of fossils in rock of Precambrian age. After providing a history of the Eozoon Collection, we then give an overview of its care and curation up to the present before describing new research on the history of the specimens and the origin of the thick black dust which covers them. Chemical and morphological analysis of the dust using SEM-EDX (scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) allows identification of one silicate and one sulphur-calcium phase. The silicate may derive from the Eozoon specimens themselves, whereas the sulphur-calcium phase may indicate gypsum from plaster. It is possible that the gypsum dust may have come from collapse of the ceiling during the fire in November 1885 at Carpenter's home that led to his death.

Respiratory Morbidity Associated with Long-Term Occupational Inhalation Exposure to High Concentrations of Hydrated Calcium Sulfate Dust

Despite wide application of hydrated calcium sulfate, possible respiratory effects of long-term occupational exposure to high concentrations of this chemical have only been investigated in a limited number of epidemiological studies. This study is undertaken to examine this issue, more thoroughly. This cross-sectional study is carried out at a local gypsum plant in Shiraz, capital of Fars province situated in south western Iran. All exposed subjects (20 male workers) and 20 healthy non-exposed male individuals as the referent group are investigated. Prevalence of respiratory symptoms among the studied subjects is evaluated and they undergo spirometry test (twice for the exposed group and once for the unexposed employees). Moreover, to assess the extent to which workers are exposed to gypsum dust and using standard methods, inhalable and respirable fractions of this compound are measured in different dusty worksites. Average airborne concentration of inhalable dust fraction is estimated to be 24 ± 14.76 mg/m3 which is higher than the recommended threshold limit value (TLV) for this chemical. Respiratory symptoms such as phlegm, wheezing and dyspnea are significantly more prevalent in exposed subjects than in non-exposed employees (p < 0.05). The results of ventilatory function tests (pre- shift) don’t show any significant differences between both groups. However, some post-shift parameters of ventilatory function such as FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC ratio are significantly lower than those of preshift and referent group. Exposure to high atmospheric concentrations of gypsum dust is associated with a significant increase in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms along with acute reversible significant decreases in some parameters of ventilatory function.

The role of playas in pedogenic gypsum crust formation in the Central Namib Desert: a theoretical model

AbstractThe formation of Namibia's extensive pedogenic gypsum crusts (CaSO4·2H2O) is interpreted in a new light. It is suggested that gypsum primarily precipitates at isolated points of evaporitic concentration, such as inland playas, and that deflation of evaporitic‐rich gypsum dust from these playas contributes to the formation of pedogenic gypsum duricrusts on the coastal gravel plains of the Namib Desert surrounding these playas. This study establishes the nature, extent and distribution of playas in the Central Namib Desert and provides evidence for playa gypsum deflation and gravel plain deposition. Remote sensing shows the distribution of playas, captures ongoing deflation and provides evidence of gypsum deflation. It is proposed that, following primary marine aerosol deposition, both inland playas and coastal sabkhas generate gypsum which through the process of playa deflation and gravel plain redeposition contributes to the extensive pedogenic crusts found in the Namib Desert region. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Chemical evolution of coal mine drainage in a non-acid producing environment, Wasatch Plateau, Utah, USA

The causes and problems of coal mine drainage, particularly acid mine drainage, in the Eastern and Interior Coal Provinces of the United States are well documented. West of the Mississippi River, where coal mines account for about 45% of total US coal production and where acid mine drainage is rare, the chemical evolution of coal mine drainage is less well documented and understood. In this investigation, we have used solute and isotopic compositions of non-evolved inflow groundwater and evolved mine discharge water to quantify the chemical evolution of mine discharge water in a western underground coal mine. Water enters the mine from fractures and roof bolt holes, which intercept groundwater in the overlying rock. Carbon-14, and 3H data indicate that these waters recharged between 12,000 and 19,500 years ago. The TDS and solute compositions of roof drip waters are spatially zoned and TDS concentrations range from about 300 to 550 mg l −1. After the water encounters minerals and other substances in the mine, the chemical differences between various mine regions become more pronounced and the TDS of mine drainage water increases to about 850 mg l −1. The TDS of mine drainage is related to water–rock ratios. Mine drainage issuing from the older mined areas, where water–rock ratios are low, has the greatest TDS. Geochemical and isotopic mass balance calculations were performed to quantify chemical reactions in the mine, and to identify sources contributing to the TDS of mine drainage. Chemical reaction pathways evaluated include pyrite oxidation, dissolution of native and rock dust gypsum, dissolution of calcite and dolomite, precipitation of calcite, ion exchange, precipitation of iron hydroxide, and organic decomposition of mining machine emulsion fluid. Solute and isotopic mass transfer reaction calculations demonstrate that the oxidation of pyrite triggers a series of cascading in-mine chemical reactions that are the primary cause of the elevated TDS of mine drainage relative to the TDS of roof-drip water. Pyrite oxidation does not result in acid drainage because of the buffering effect of abundant carbonate minerals. Dissolution of gypsum, both native and gypsum dust previously used as rock dust, is also a significant contributor of SO 4 2−. Ion exchange of Ca 2+ on the sodium zeolite analcime, which occurs in the coal, accounts for an increase in Na + concentrations. Oxidation of fugitive longwall emulsion fluid produces abundant CO 2(g) some of which indirectly affect the TDS of mine drainage.

Origin and development of tafoni in Tunnel Spring Tuff, Crystal Peak, Utah, USA

Bedding-parallel tafoni are well developed over much of the surface of the Tunnel Spring Tuff (Oligocene) exposed in 300-m-high Crystal Peak, an inselberg. The Tunnel Spring Tuff is a crudely stratified, non-welded rhyolite ash-flow tuff with > 30 per cent porosity. Clasts of Palaeozoic dolomite, limestone and quartzite make up 10 per cent of the tuff. The tafoni are remarkable because of their size (up to 20 m wide but rarely wider than 4 m), shape of the openings (spherical, arch-like or crescent-shaped) and abundance (up to 50 per cent of an outcrop face). They are actively forming today. Calcite is abundant (10 to 40 per cent by weight) in tafoni as an efflorescence in spalling flakes of tuff on their roofs and walls. Halite and gypsum generally make up less than 0·01 per cent of the efflorescence. The absence of corroded quartz and feldspar grains in spall fragments indicates that chemical weathering is unimportant in development of the tafoni. Calcite, aragonite, halite and gypsum dust from modern salt pans less than 20 km from Crystal Peak are potential sources of salt in the tuff, but the prevailing winds are in the wrong direction for significant amounts of these evaporite minerals to reach the inselberg. Calcite is the only evaporite mineral present in the tafoni in more than trace amounts, and this mineral is readily available within the tuff itself as a result of rock weathering. We propose that meteoric water containing carbonic acid infiltrates the tuff, dissolves carbonate clasts, and migrates to the steep flanks (>20°) of the peak through abundant megapores and micropores. There it evaporates and precipitates calcite. Crystallization pressure spalls off grains and sheets as the physical manifestation of salt weathering. The quasi-uniform spacing of tafoni suggests that a self-organization process is active in the water flow. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Dust deposition in southern Nevada and California, 1984–1989: Relations to climate, source area, and source lithology

Dust samples collected annually for 5 years from 55 sites in southern Nevada and California provide the first regional source of information on modern rates of dust deposition, grain size, and mineralogical and chemical composition relative to climate and to type and lithology of dust source. The average silt and clay flux (rate of deposition) in southern Nevada and southeastern California ranges from 4.3 to 15.7 g/m2/yr, but in southwestern California the average silt and clay flux is as high as 30 g/m2/yr. The climatic factors that affect dust flux interact with each other and with the factors of source type (playas versus alluvium), source lithology, geographic area, and human disturbance. Average dust flux increases with mean annual temperature but is not correlated to decreases in mean annual precipitation because the regional winds bring dust to relatively wet areas. In contrast, annual dust flux mostly reflects changes in annual precipitation (relative drought) rather than temperature. Although playa and alluvial sources produce about the same amount of dust per unit area, the total volume of dust from the more extensive alluvial sources is much larger. In addition, playa and alluvial sources respond differently to annual changes in precipitation. Most playas produce dust that is richer in soluble salts and carbonate than that from alluvial sources (except carbonate‐rich alluvium). Gypsum dust may be produced by the interaction of carbonate dust and anthropogenic or marine sulfates. The dust flux in an arid urbanizing area may be as much as twice that before disturbance but decreases when construction stops. The mineralogic and major‐oxide composition of the dust samples indicates that sand and some silt is locally derived and deposited, whereas clay and some silt from different sources can be far‐traveled. Dust deposited in the Transverse Ranges of California by the Santa Ana winds appears to be mainly derived from sources to the north and east.

The effectiveness of three methods for the control of immature Fannia species in poultry manure.

Of the three methods tested for the control of immature Fannia species in poultry manure, the only satisfactory control (99.1%) was the stirring of manure plus the application of diazinon and gypsum dust. The mere stirring of poultry manure (47.4%), and the stirring plus applying a diazinon-water spray (91.4%) were considered unsatisfactory.